Different beverage preparation methods using capsules to be brewed in a suitable beverage machine are known. Quality of a tea beverage is highly dependent on the quality of the leaf tea ingredients, i.e., the tea origin used (soil, drying, blending, etc.) and their storage conditions. For instance, tea ingredients are usually sensitive to oxygen and light. Preferred tea ingredients are taken from loose leaves, chiseled or broken in small fragments. However, brewing conditions are also important to take full advantage of the quality of the starting ingredients used.
Another problem with tea beverages resides in that taste cross-contamination must be preferably avoided. Taste cross-contamination happens when two capsules are successively brewed in the machine and when a taste residue is left by the first capsule on permanent parts of the machine that can consequently affect the taste of the second capsule which is brewed just after the first capsule. For tea, this can be an issue with certain tea varieties that deliver a high aroma profile such as mint tea or other highly flavored varieties. Also tea residue may constitute a soil for bacterial growth and may lead to hygiene issues which need to be tackled.
WO 2007/042414 A1 and WO 2007/042415 A1 propose a design of a capsule that promotes optimal conditions for the preparation of a tea beverage and the like. In particular they propose a capsule that is adapted to brew or infuse beverages in a beverage machine that may provide the following advantages: the quality of the tea beverage can be improved, in particular, in relation to the beverage concentration into the cup, the taste and the reduced turbidity. For these purposes the capsule comprises: an enclosure containing one or more beverage ingredients; a filtering wall delimiting at least one filtering side of the enclosure, wherein it comprises an overflow wall that is positioned in the path of the brewed liquid after the filtering wall and which comprises at least one overflow aperture. Since the production of such a capsule requests the assembly of different elements in a certain order—that is the positioning of a filter means through the capsule enclosure opening and then of an overflow wall on the filter means—the production of the capsule is complex and expensive.
Therefore, there is a need for a capsule that is easier and less expensive to be produced while presenting a design that promotes optimal conditions for the preparation of a tea beverage and the like.
In the present application, the terms “capsule” or “cartridge” or “package” are considered as synonymous. The term “capsule” will be preferentially used. The capsule can be a single use capsule hermetically closed before its use for the preparation of a beverage or it can be a reusable capsule that is openable to introduce desired food ingredients inside before use. The words “brewing” or “infusion” are used as synonymous. The term “brewing fluid” generally refers to the liquid that serves to infuse the beverage ingredients, more generally, hot water. The term “brewed liquid” generally refers to the liquid that has infused and submerged the beverage ingredients, more generally, tea or the like.
In the present application, the term “tea” encompasses all type of leaf tea such as green tea, black tea, white tea, chai tea, flavored tea, herbal or fruit tea and combinations thereof. The term “leaf tea” or “leaf ingredient” refers to brewable tea or other ingredients in whatever form such as complete, cut or chiseled leaves, small fragments of leaves, powder or dust.